Speeches by Ryan.

“Summer jobs are really important, as are summer schools. Will the Minister join me in welcoming students from the Burnley summer school, who join us in the Gallery today, and will he perhaps include in his speech the fact that over the Tories’ time in power from 2010 to 2024, 7,500 pubs closed across Britain—many of th…”

“As the Minister is reading out his list of achievements, may I add to it? Does he think it is a good thing that we have put nearly £1 billion into support for the sick and disabled? That will partly come from savings from this and other measures, which we hope will save £1.9 billion by the end of the Parliament. As he …”

“The reassessment changes that we are introducing through this statutory instrument and other measures will save something like £2 billion by the end of the Parliament. I am sure we all agree that would be welcome, given the increasing size of the welfare bill. Why is the hon. Member opposing that saving, and how would …”

“The hon. Gentleman talks about the types of assessment and the way in which the assessment is done, and he is right to talk about capacity. Just before the election, the previous Government signed new contracts that said 80% of new assessments would be done virtually. The changes to reassessment in these regulations wi…”

“It is a great pleasure to welcome this King’s Speech after the bumper legislative year we have just had. Acts such as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the Employment Rights Act 2025 are already making a difference to my constituents, and there are more than 5,000 children in my area with better supported parents becaus…”

“I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend is an ardent campaigner for community spaces like the one he mentions, and I am sure he is taking that fight to his local council on behalf of his residents and the users of that facility. I am completely onside with him. I am not sure how much work my endorsement does, but I wish him…”

“I am coming on to say, in fact, that of course the increase has its limits and should not be a shock to business. I have heard, if not similar stories, then certainly experiences in the same vein. We had the debate on the national insurance increase in this place, but a good chunk of that increase, if not all of it, wa…”

“Q12. Thank you, Mr Speaker—and a happy St George’s day for tomorrow too. In Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield, we have a large number of ex-industrial, derelict land sites crying out for regeneration and redevelopment. They are blighting communities and many are a fire risk. Our area of Britain needs housing—social, affo…”

“T4. I am worried that, despite this Government’s historic recognition of a Palestinian state, there will never be one if the west bank is annexed further, which Netanyahu knows. Some 56 new illegal west bank settlements were approved by Israel in 2025, and since the Iran war began, 78 violent attacks have occurred in m…”

“I so welcome this strategy. I am quite ashamed to say that before being elected to this place, I did not know enough about women’s health issues, and in particular the issues with pelvic and vaginal mesh—the wait for treatment and the struggle to be heard—and endometriosis; people with that condition face a wait for di…”

“Q14. Burnley Manchester Road station is a key driver of growth. It is Burnley’s link to Manchester and Leeds and, more importantly for them, it is their link to Burnley. There were more than half a million journeys from the station last year, and yet it is inaccessible. Despite big, empty promises from the last Tory Go…”

“I am glad to hear that the employer NI exemption for staff under the age of 21 is staying in place. The new £3,000 hiring bonus for businesses taking on young people will make a real difference. How will the Secretary of State ensure that it is taken up by businesses and young people in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield?…”

“The Secretary of State is right to say that, because of our reliance on oil and gas, we are a price taker, not a price maker. We are exposed, and families in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield are worried. Will he continue to strengthen our home-grown sovereign energy supplies and production to keep driving down energy bi…”

“T7. The brilliant Burnley college has bid to become one of the UK’s four new advanced manufacturing technical excellence colleges. Its bid is the only one from Lancashire. It is backed by the North West Aerospace Alliance and the Northern Automotive Alliance, our big local world-class manufacturing employers, neighbour…”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“If the Minister is not otherwise engaged on Valentine’s day, he is always welcome in Burnley for the bumper cars.”

“Those were exactly the words of my constituent Arshad Khan when he came to see me at my constituency surgery this weekend; he made that point about indentured servitude and visa licences, and how these employers operate. I just want to add to the hon. Gentleman’s argument, because this is a serious point. People are li…”

“I have a great deal of respect for the hon. Gentleman, and I know he is trying his best, but I am surprised at the tone that he is taking and at his language around the winter fuel allowance. He can correct me if I am wrong, but the 2017 Conservative manifesto outlined stripping this benefit completely—and that was fro…”

“The Minister makes a very good point about the expansion of exemptions and the fact that the Government are minded to look at this in future Budgets. I welcome clause 29, which talks about the leasing of plants and machinery and affects many businesses in my constituency. I think it will have a genuine impact and, much…”

“As ever, Sir Roger, it is a pleasure to make a short contribution while you are in the Chair. On clause 20, I will not echo the point that has just been made, but the Minister will have seen the written evidence submitted by the Association of Taxation Technicians, which discussed potentially widening the new initiativ…”